Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-26
THE pRESBYTERIES.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOUTHERN orx.
HRAL ASSEMBLY.
The speeeh Of Colonel Livingston. Of
Georgia, in Favor Of the Majority Re.
pert on Organic Union-fhs
Discussion Continued
Yesterday.
[By tOlegraph 70 ins pIsn.,chl


81. LOUIS, May 25.-The following Il an
epitone OF the speech made yesterday after.
noon In the Southern Presbyterian Assem-.
bly, by Colonel Livingston, OF Georgia. IN
which be not only spoke In favor OF the
majority report on the union Of the two
assemblies, but handled with bare knuckles
DR.. Smoot, OF Texas, who had presented
and advocated the minority report, whose
rcnafksweTe teiegraphed last night:
MI. Livingston said When the majority
made their report II was out OF no disrespecI
for fathers OF the church like DIR. Smoot.
The speaker admitted he bad represented
bis PEOPLE In the Legislature at home, but
be was not politician. DR.. Sm0ops
speech was made up OF the bloody shirt
and IN attack upon the Methodist
Boald. He characterized DR.. Smo1t as
q nat' ral.born politician In the pulpit OF
Christ. He said DIR. SmOot bad been mad
ever since the Federal army came into his
county, In Kentucky, and they made him
step mp every thirty days aud take the oath.
They could not trust him more than thirty
days. Ever since that time he has had no
use Tor nythiDg north OF Mason & Dixon's
line. Or. Smoot said he would not 20 II
Others went. The speaker suggested
rather quantity that they would let him
stay. He wanted TO know ii there was any
politics in bis predecessors address con-
corning Wendell Phillips and Lloyd Garri-
son. lie wondered II northern man used
language more cutting 10 the southern
people than that was 10 the northern peo-
pie. DR.. Smoot was different from Garr1-
son. Garrison would say TO Smoot:
"Your rebellion caused all The sorro " and
ruin" Smoot would say: Well, you led
ne IN do ~ - Tho aud ita
issues should be buried forever and ever.
As 10 cooperation, the speaker declared that
Abraham armed his servants and went
down and helped Lot and raised him aud
bis family. They did not cooperate any
more because the town was burned uD
and Lots wife was turned into pillar OF
salt. Men were supporting the majority
report who were born farther down into
the heart OF slavery and war than ever DR..
SmoOt was. AS to the charge that the
majority had doctOred figures, the speaker
completely overturned the proofs. 1t was
unfair 10 the presbyteries which bad not
been beard TO say they were not moving IN
The msIter. The legal presumption was
that tho silence OF the presbyteries meant
their consent. There was no question but
that five spoke in favor Of it. The others
either cared nothing for it or favored
il. As TO the Charge that this
movement ought not to follow BUSH
neSs.men, the "children Of this world are
wiser in their generation than the children
of hight" This Christ had said to certain
people once. The trouble with the Presby-
teriln Church was that there had been too
little business aboutit. Businessmen were
haTd-beaded and sensible, and the Church
should have some OF their sense. As to DR..
ct gondiu.x al ri To
"conyelt New Enclanders from their Uni
tarIanism and other isms," the speaker said
he would like TO be one Of the missionaries.
They night answer him IN some fashion
snch a. Ibis: Don't you think you South
crn II, shyterans had better go back aud
tend to hose millions OF niggers you have
down tIcre?"
God never intended the separation OF His
children. 4 clause IN the majority report
specially stipulated that the Southern
Church did not believe in deli'crlnces
on politics. The Southern Church went
out because the Northern Assembly in 1861
IN Philadelphia had declared citizens 10
be uHder TIE Government OF the United
States-tte Government de fdcto and de
jure-and no member Of the Church should
bear arms against 1t. II this clause was
removed then the Church could 90 back.
How many political deiyerances mad the
Southern Church nader Many OF them.
The people at Omaha had notified this as
sembly that they would accept Just what
the Missouri Synod had accepted. DIR.
SmoOt bad dug up the bloody shirt aud
washed il and waved II and raked up every
cruel thing the Northern Church had
ever said. 1t was not fair
thing 10 make the Northern Church
81 70 ptanH for fla lthnrph nf fen n
fifteen or twenty years ago. Ii would have
been fair6r to have taken their later de-
claraiiOns as an expression OF opinion. II
the assembly did not pay more attention to
the oVertuts now made the Church would
lose many border presbyteries. The whole
matter Of Church progress aud Church
growth had been hindered by the two con.
flicling churches in the nel1. In all other
matters the issues and differences OF The
war were being buried out of sight, and
tie Church OF God should not be the last TO
harmonic.
Tie assembly devoted the morning ses.
SION to argument on organic union.
Elder ). z. Livingston, OF Georgia, and
Rev. j. NJ. Potts, d Alabama, spoke IN
favor OF union with the Northern Church,
and w. II. Parks, OF st. Louis, opposed It,
The invitation OF the second Pre- Shy terrain
chufcn OF InlladtlDuia 10 tIt uNsctboly "
hold their next session in that city, and eX-
tending their hospitality, was declined, as
this assembly has no church in Philadelphia,
but they resolved 70 hold their next session
in May, 1883. at Baltimore, and to take re-
cess on the fourth Thursday in Nay and
proceed to Philadelphia TO assist in the
celebration Of the centennial anniversary
OF the Reformed Presbyteriins Of America.
1hCy iurthpr accepted their quota OF the
addresses, and the following speakers aud
subjects were assigned Rev. 3. NJ.
P0lmcr, Children OF the Covenant y;
Rev. NJ. u. Hogc, Z" City Eyapgeliz1tiOn y;
Rev. j. l.. Gerardeau, "EIIstOry OF Pres ~.
lenonism and Its Work for the Future >"
Rev. NJ. II Houston, &" Foreign Missions;
Rev. w. II. Moore. Home Missions }"
Rev. Jerry Witherspoon. "Closing Ad.
dress; J. Randolph Tucker, OF Virginia,
The Adaptation OF Presbyteriantsm to
the Masses -; w. C.. p. Breckenridge, OF
Kentucky. Lalvinism and Religious LII
bcrty -; }. s. Coltran, Of South Carolina,
"CalYiuism ond Human Progress; Cit
ford Anderson, OF Georgia, clay Efforts
Among the Masses"